Institutionalism can refer to:
- Institutionalism: Hierarchical organized social structures, using tactical division to divide the work force, paying wages less than needed, to pay even basic living costs, believing their own rhetoric and propaganda, serving the pinnacle position to the detriment of the whole, 'group think,' gone mad. People in subordinate roles tend to agree or say yes, to seniors, as their jobs would be threatened or positions seriously undermined should they disagree, the larger groups are unaware or unwilling to challenge the systems. 'Institutionalism.' examples, Governments.
- New institutionalism: a social theory that focuses on developing a sociological view of institutions, the way they interact and the effects of institutions on society.
- Historical institutionalism: a social science method of inquiry that uses institutions as subject of study in order to find, measure and trace patterns and sequences of social, political, economic behavior and change across time and space.
- Institutionalism in political parties: an approach that sees political parties as having some capacities for adaptation, but also sees them as being "prisoners of their own history as an institution".
- Institutionalism in international relations: a branch of international relations theory that holds that the international system is not—in practice—anarchic, but that it has an implicit or explicit structure which determines how states will act within the system.